The sorting of mail is a very complex, time consuming task. In general, the sorting of mail is processed through many stages, including back end processes, which sort or sequence the mail in delivery order sequence. These processes can either be manual or automated, depending on the mail sorting facility, the type of mail to be sorted such as packages, flats, letters and the like. A host of other factors may also contribute to the automation of the mail sorting, from budgetary concerns to modernization initiatives to access to appropriate technologies to a host of other factors.
In general, however, most modern facilities have taken major steps toward automation by the implementation of a number of technologies. These technologies include, amongst others, letter sorters, parcel sorters, advanced tray conveyors, flat sorters and the like. As a result of these developments, postal facilities have become quite automated over the years, considerably reducing overhead costs and increasing mail throughput.
By way of example, in front end processes, sorting and sequencing systems are capable of sequencing mail pieces and other product based on a two pass algorithm system. Of course, other known systems can equally be used to sort mail pieces and other product, a host of them readily available and known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In one such known system, sorting devices include one or more feeders with feed rate capacities ranging from approximately 40,000 letters per hour and approximately 10,000 flats per hour.
As the mail pieces are inducted into the system, they may be fed onto conveying tracks such as belt transports, pocket/cartridge transports or any other well known conveying or transporting system. The mail process or other items then pass a camera, optical reading device, bar code scanner or other type of reading device used to read destination information from the mail pieces. This information is then provided to a control, which uses such information to coordinate the movements of the mail pieces to predetermined bin locations, via diverters or other known systems. In a two pass system, the mail pieces are now in a sort order.
However, to place the mail pieces in a walk order sequence, for example, the mail pieces are again inducted into the system for a second pass. During this second pass, the destination information is again read and provided to the control. With this information, the control can then coordinate the movements of the mail pieces to respective bin locations. It is during this second pass, that the mail pieces are then provided in a sequenced stream, e.g., walk order sequence.
During this sequencing, the mail pieces or other product are initially unloaded to containers located at each drop off point, via chutes. In this manner, the mail pieces are slid down the chutes into the containers and are stacked within the containers in a sequenced order. Although the mail pieces are provided within the containers in a delivery order sequence, there is typically no indicia or other means to determine the exact address of such mail pieces. This may result in lost efficiency, i.e., incorrect delivery of the mail pieces or loss of sequence integrity. This is basically due to the fact that the mail carrier, for example, has to sift through the containers for each mail delivery address, missing some addresses or, when returning the mail pieces into the container, misplacing them out of sequence. In the latter situation, there is the possibility that the mail carrier may incorrect replace the mail piece into the container out of sequence. So, in the containers, the mail pieces can shift out of sequence with respect to one another, especially during the delivery of the mail pieces by the mail carrier.
If the mail pieces lose their sequence integrity, it becomes much more time consuming for the mail carrier to properly delivery the mail pieces. And, in instances, the mail pieces may have to again be sequenced, but during the delivery process. This adds to the delivery time and, ultimately, the cost of delivery of the mail pieces. It also may lead to the improper delivery of the mail pieces or mail pieces being undeliverable.
To complicate these problems, in some systems, flats and other types of mail pieces are sequenced separately due to the limitations of the sorting systems. In these situations, the sequenced mail pieces and flats are provided in different containers. For this reason, it becomes very difficult and time consuming for a mail carrier to separate and efficiently delivery the combined mail, when the mail pieces and flats are provided in separate containers, possibly out of sequence for the reasons enumerated above.
The invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.